1. Field of the Invention
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a modular interior system for a vehicle.
2. Background Art
A vehicle generally has an interior which is mounted within a vehicle body. The interior typically has multiple components which are installed within the body to complete the interior. These components may include: flooring material, vehicle seats, roofing material, paneling, seat belts, lighting, and other components which may be incorporated into the interior.
Assembling the interior is a process which is often completed in multiple, sequential operations. First, flooring material is conventionally installed into the vehicle body. Pieces of carpet are often used as flooring material and are separately fastened into the vehicle body. The process is time-consuming and expensive when assembling the vehicle. The process often requires multiple workers to try to increase production speed.
Next, seats are typically installed or mounted within the vehicle body. Each seat is separately fastened within the vehicle body at multiple fastener locations. Such installation requires additional time, additional cost, and multiple workers.
Roofing material is typically installed into the vehicle body. Pieces of the roofing material are independently placed and mounted within the vehicle body. Installing the roofing material is another step which increases the time and cost required to produce a vehicle.
Paneling, instrumentation, seat belts, lighting, and other components also are conventionally installed within the vehicle interior. Each panel, instrument, seat belt, and light must be separately placed and fastened within the vehicle body. Again, these installations require additional time, additional cost, and multiple workers. If a single component is improperly installed, there is a potential for delays in the installation process which increase the time to assemble the vehicle and the overall cost to build the vehicle.